Montreal, 26 April 2016 – Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau ask the Minister of Transport, Marc Garneau, to require Transport Canada to extend the comment period for the new zoning regulations for Montreal-Trudeau Airport. This extension is to be used to better inform the public about the effects of the proposed changes.
“We do not want to end up one day with faits accomplis that have a negative impact on our quality of life, and to have to deal with a public organization that will tell us that we were consulted. Transport Canada must put on the table all the information necessary to allow us to assess the difference between the old rules and the ones being proposed, “said Antoine Bécotte, president of Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau.
Lack of transparency of Transport Canada
Citizens and organizations currently have until April 26, 2016 (today) to submit their comments to Transport Canada. Representatives of Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau attended the two consultation sessions held recently by this department in Pointe-Claire, but despite several questions, many answers are still pending or are incomplete. The new regulations replace the previous ones dating from April 1976, when Dorval airport was projected to have to a very limited future. They add, among other things, an increase of two kilometres to the area around the airport affected by severe zoning restrictions, which could cost residents when they come to sell their properties.
The new regulations also confirm the abandonment of the extension to runway 10-28, and the protection of land required for the creation of runway 12-30, projects that could lead to a better dispersion of flight paths over the island of Montreal and also the accompanying noise.
Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau also question the significance of limits that are being sought for certain human and industrial activity, which would attract wildlife up to a distance of fifteen kilometres. The increased noise – recorded by measuring stations of Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau – is precisely more evident up to fifteen kilometres east of the airport.
“For all these reasons, we ask Transport Canada to redo its homework, to demonstrate more transparency, and to return with a full explanation of the real changes that are behind this project,” concluded Mr. Bécotte.
About Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau
Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau is a group of Montreal citizens incorporated as a non-profit organization in the summer of 2013. Their main demands are a revision of the landing and takeoff protocols at Montreal-Trudeau airport with the aim of raising altitude levels of aircraft flying over the island of Montreal, and the application of a strict curfew between 11 pm and 7 am.